All I want for Christmas is "Peace on Earth".

All I want for Christmas is "Peace on Earth". That's a tall order considering there are over 1500 wars and conflicts taking place around the world as of today. Hundreds of thousands of people in Zimbabwe, Darfur, Sudan and other locations around the globe are fleeing for their lives as rebels terrorize their homes, towns and way of life.

We hear in the news daily about the stories of conflict in Israel and Palestine, and other parts of the middle east. Even Jerusalem, still remains in conflict and has for the past 3000 years. King David prayed, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces'" (Psalm 122:6-7).

Here we are today, still praying for peace. God chose this historical city, He's saved it many times, He's even divided it. It seems to be a symbol for the rest of the world. As we enter the Christmas season, we might ask, can we continue on with world conflict like this? Will men and woman of this world ever be able to live together in world peace? I think we will, in God's time, not ours.

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

Saint Francis still plays a part in the role of mankind today, just like Jesus. Merry Christmas to all the world and Peace on Earth.

Thank God for Exodus

The story of Exodus helps me to understand how patient, forgiving, generous, and committed God was to free Israel from bondage, and oppression.

By looking at the path Israel took to freedom, I can relate to it in my own heart and mind. The biggest challenge for me is that they had Moses, Aaron, and the Ark to prove God was going to keep His word. I have to depend on faith. Of course if I mess up I don’t have to worry about Moses putting me to the machete or making me drink down melted gold.

My reflection on the escape from Egypt was rescue from bondage. However, like all good relationships, there has to be provisions, rules, and or covenants to make things work. God picked a man like Moses who was not a ready servant, to do a job for Yahweh. Moses played hard to get, gave plenty of excuses and finally God won the battle. I can relate to this part also and have not had to wait until I was eighty to trust God and become His servant; of course I have no plans to wander around the desert either. It is nice that I can learn from people like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and all the other characters in the scriptures, along with my own peaks and valleys of life.

The same God, who set Israel free, has set me free from the chains, bondage and imprisonment that I have experienced in poverty, sin, pride and numerous other character defects over my lifetime. Not to say they are gone, like everyone else I still have many faults and always will. I can at least say my God is forgiving. He will also guided me along the right path to salvation, give me the opportunity to be His servant, and provided the right people in my life to help me find my way back home when I do mess up.

So, I have no pillar of cloud or pillar of fire to lead me through the balance of this faith journey, except my faith that God does not abandon his people, He guides and protects them. As I thirst and hunger for more answers and knowledge I believe He will provide those answers. I have also learned that God provided a way to forgiveness through the Ark. (I wondered why they spent so much time on this part of Exodus). I am pleased through our Catholic Tradition that forgiveness was passed on through the sacrament of Reconciliation. As I stubble along the way, I can thank Moses for playing a role in setting our Christian and Jewish ancestors free and giving the modern day Christians a guidebook in Exodus to discern over.
What do you think?